


Me, Myself, and...Him

by Qrowcane (timaeustestifiedsilence)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drama, F/M, Implied Relationships, Jealousy, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Post-Volume 4 (RWBY), cloqwork, oscar's middle name is sassy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2018-12-09 14:23:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11670825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timaeustestifiedsilence/pseuds/Qrowcane
Summary: Ozpin is just the voice inside Oscar's head - to him at least. Everyone seems to care more about that voice than the boy that speaks for it, and it's a bit unnerving. However, it's going to take a lot to get used to it, and a lot to continue Ozpin's legacy.





	1. I Know You Can Do Better

**Author's Note:**

> This is, ashamedly, the first thing I've written for RWBY, despite being in the FNDM for a few years now. Hope you enjoy this!

Friday afternoon. Chilly autumn weather. Another week of vigorous training gone by, and yet...Oscar still felt about as threatening as a lamb and no stronger than before. Not even Taiyang’s cheerful encouragement helped.

“C’mon, kid. I know you’re holding back.” Qrow spread his arms wide, tauntingly. “Kick my ass. Show me what you’ve got.”

Almost immediately, Oscar could hear a familiar chuckle in his head. _Go on. He just wants to have some fun._

“Right…” Oscar muttered, once again tightening his grip on Ozpin’s cane. A few moments of awkward hesitation were followed by a sharp lunge. Oscar was aiming to knock Qrow’s feet out from underneath him, but was instead met with air. Qrow landed gracefully behind him and beckoned, again.

Swipe, jab, miss. Hand-to-cane combat ended up hand-to-hand, the cane clattering away into the woods. The seasoned huntsman versus the farmhand - surely the easiest victory yet for Qrow. Everything Oscar did was useless; even so, Ozpin would chime in time after time, encouraging him.

A too slow dodge found Oscar on his back, Qrow grinning above him. “Done yet, pipsqueak?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Ozpin began to argue with him, a rather odd occurrence for the calm and collected (former) headmaster. _Really now, Oscar. You must train if you are to be of any help. Qrow’s cocky nature makes things hard, but he has his weak spots._ ‘How would you know?’ Oscar thought, smirking slightly. _Funny. In all seriousness, keep his semblance in mind. In addition, try to attack him from behind - he’s a very forward person in more ways than one._ ‘Fine. But if that doesn’t work, I hope you can feel the bruises I know I’ll end up getting.’

And with that, Oscar sat up and rolled between Qrow’s legs, whipping his own around to land a kick square in the huntsman’s back.

Qrow staggered forward a step before spinning around with a vicious left hook, meeting Oscar’s (tender) cheek.

This time, Oscar paid closer attention to how Qrow moved. Watched how he shifted his weight, how he dodged and blocked. He noticed that Qrow hit in flurries rather than one at a time - rapid succession of kicks instead of just one. His movements were twitchy almost, but if you never took your eyes off of him, he’d become approximately predictable.

Ozpin’s advice appeared to be true; Qrow was more offensive than defensive, leaving his back a tad more exposed.

_Move into the trees. I can guarantee that he’ll get hit by a branch - it wouldn’t be the first time it happened in a battle._

“Scared?” Qrow snickered, advancing on the retreating trainee.

Rolling his eyes, Oscar scoffed. “No. Well, maybe a little...you _are_ a veteran huntsman after all…”

He either hadn’t noticed or didn’t care, but Qrow had allowed himself to be baited into the thick forest behind Taiyang’s home.

Of course, his semblance was as annoying as ever. Oscar tripped over a massive tree root that _surely_ wasn’t there before, and was met with a rather harsh kick.

“You’ve got a strong aura, even without Oz possessing you. Hit me back twice as hard.”

_Inhabiting, not possessing._

“Inhabiting,” spat Oscar. He charged at a rapidly approaching Qrow and faked him out at the last possible second.

Pale skin met dark wood as Qrow crashed into a tree behind Oscar.

Nearby was Ozpin’s cane - Oscar took his one chance to hit the momentarily stunned man as many times as he could.

“Good Grimm, you got me! Knock it off already!” Qrow hopped away, whimpering as her rubbed his back. “That’s enough for today; my poor bones are aching.”

Ozpin’s laughter took Oscar for a loop. _Ah. He never fails to use his age to his advantage…_

“Good fight!” A voice called, friendly and bubbling with laughter. “You losin’ your touch, old man?”

“You’re one to talk, blondie,” Qrow growled, “I could still beat you in a fight, anyday.” The two continued to bicker as they headed back inside. Taiyang had been kind enough to lend them a place to stay and train; the bustling metropolis that was Mistral drove both Oscar and Qrow up the walls.

The three managed to get to the kitchen table whole, where Taiyang had laid out copious amounts of barbecued meat.

“Well well well...my thanks to the little chef!”

Taiyang gawked at Qrow, who had already slapped a fat steak onto his plate. “ _Little_?! Says the guy who turns into a bird and flies away from his problems!”

Very badly did Oscar want them to shut up and eat. Instead, all of the attention was directed towards him.

“Nice work you did out there. You did better today than ever before!” He then leaned in closer, whispering out of the corner of his mouth, “Say, is good ol’ Ozpin sharing some sick fighting techniques?”

“Thank you, Mr. -”

He was abruptly cut off. “Oh, mister schmister. Just call me Tai, I don’t care.”

“If you say so.”

“Jeez, Tai. Already on a first name basis? I’m gonna have to ask you to take a step back. Whispering to him when you think I’m not paying attention…” Qrow shook his head in disdain, clearly enjoying himself.

Without warning he leaned across the small table, face inches from Oscar’s.

“C-can I...help you?” Oscar stuttered, leaning away.

“What’s the big man upstairs got to say?”

Oscar sighed, relieved that Qrow didn’t ask him anything weird. He paused for a few moments before speaking. 

“Qrow, he says that you continue to be one of the most childish men he knows.”

Taiyang let out a hearty chuckle before being interrupted by a rough shove, nearly falling out of his chair.

“And that you, Tai, should go see your daughters in Mistral. There’s no need for you to sit around here while uh, I train with Qrow.”

“That’s not the first time he’s told you something like that,” Qrow mocked. “Hey Oz, remember that one time team STRQ almost got our butts kicked by a bunch of Grimm while Tai sat, waiting for the history class that wasn’t even scheduled?”

Ozpin chortled, reminiscing the old days, before replying with Oscar relaying his words. “Of course I do. If I recall, it ended in you and your sister arguing over who fought better. I still think Summer did the best.”

The rest of the evening was filled with memories from the days of team STRQ, of which Oscar found wildly interesting. It lasted much longer than he expected, however. Clearly,  the team had gotten into numerous absurd situations. Ozpin protested lightly when Oscar cut off the flashback session, saying how he had more to share. ‘Tomorrow, okay? I’m tired.’ He laid down without further argument, and the chatter continued downstairs.

* * *

 

Being a light sleeper, it was very difficult to get decent sleep with all the ruckus from the kitchen. It had to have been in the early A.M. when the noise finally died down.

Yet, as soon as Oscar started drifting off again, a loud, clumsy being stumbled into his room.

“Heey, kiddo. Make room for me. I gotta talk t’ Ozpin.” Qrow sat on Oscar’s legs before he could even move, the strong scent of liquor trailing him.

“Wh-Qrow? What’re you doing?”

“Relax. I just had a few things on my mind that I wanted to tell Oz.”

Oscar pushed Qrow off exasperatedly. “Look, I’m...not trying to be rude here, but can’t you wait until morning?”

The look Qrow gave him was rather unsettling.

“That’s not very Ozpin-like of you.”

“No, that was very Oscar-like of me. Please, Qrow, just -”

“What does it matter?” Qrow snapped. “You two will become one soon enough. You’re just a host. Now listen to me; once you’re trained up enough, Oz will assume full control over you. _You’ll_ be the voice in the back of _his_ head. Now let. Me. Talk. To. Him.”

Each word was flourished with a jab to Oscar’s chest.

_For the love of the Gods, Oscar,  that’s not at all what -_

“No. You know what? This is too much for me right now. I don’t know if that’s true but I just, I just want to be left alone.” Oscar shoved Qrow’s hand away and slumped back into bed with his head buried in his hands. He waited until Qrow wordlessly stumbled away before letting out a deep sigh. “Please tell me that’s not true, Ozpin.”

He could practically picture Ozpin banging his head on a wall.

 _It is true that you are a host. Our souls are intertwined now. But the rest of it is false; Qrow can get carried away in his drunken ramblings. It..._ is _true that I’ve assumed control over another person before._

“Permanently?”

_...Only once. My body was unable to...how should I say it...regenerate, and I had no other choice._

That struck a sour note with Oscar. “No other choice? I mean...you could have just, I dunno. Stayed...dead?”

Ozpin laughed, albeit morbidly. _My boy, I am far too important, far too ancient for that to ever be allowed to happen. I must admit that I cannot explain to you the truth about me._

“But why?”

_Many reasons. Don’t feel bad - no one else knows, not even Qrow. Now please, try to sleep._

“...Alright.”

Ozpin bid the boy goodnight and went back to being a silent presence. Still, despite his reassurances, Oscar couldn’t shake the suffocating feeling unease that he was being lied to.


	2. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Real quick note :)

Hi! I'm not dead. I'm planning to continue this fic, and I'm working on a chapter right now. I admit that I kinda forgot about this, but...volume 5 of RWBY has revamped my soul and reminded me of my love for the show.

Now, I'd like to say this: this fic was conceived before volume 5 came out. It is placed in a timeline just after volume 4, and I'm choosing to go my own way, and not bring anything from volume 5 into my fic.

 

********SPOILERS*********

There was a big ol scene with Ozpin/Oscar explaining things to the kids in vol 5 ep 3. What was said basically confirmed my theory and also kinda what I wrote in chapter 1, but I sure as heck did not expect it.

SO

Like I said, this fic will not have anything to do with vol 5 (just sort of my personal theory and angsty ideas). I'll try to work on it more.

Also, I've just started messing around with my drawing tablet in photoshop, so I'm very new to digital art and everything I draw looks like a toddler's vomit. I might try to do art of my own work, so stay tuned I guess?

Thanks for reading. I'll make sure to work hard for yall.


	3. In My Heart, In My Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some mc-conflict that took way too long to write >:).

Avian screeching first thing in the morning no longer fazed Oscar, and instead served as a reminder that things were ok. The world could be in shambles, but it would never end until the rooster failed to crow.

" _Breakfast is ready~_!" Taiyang sang, as well as a dad with no affinity for music could. "Get it while it's hot! Like me." ~~Classic.~~

"No dad jokes at this time, I'm begging you," Qrow grumbled. An electrifying urge for coffee possessed Oscar and he found himself ghosting down to the kitchen.

The rather small table was laden with assorted meats and fruits, and the cumulative amount of salt was probably more than that of a losing ream at the Vytal Festival.

"Boy, did Raven have you  _whipped_!" Qrow was wearing a shit-eating grin that stretched from ear to ear. "At least we know who wore the pants in the relationship." Unamused, Taiyang seemed to be one more insult away from choking Qrow out with a chain of sausages.

"I'll have you know that I  _had_ to take care of the girls while Raven was out doing grimm knows what. Your sister is just as wild as you, if not more!"

And, just like that, they were squabbling.  _Don't get discouraged, Oscar. Though boys never truly grow up, Qrow and Taiyang are honorable men. Qrow's teaching experience from Signal assures me that you're in good hands. And, as for Taiyang, although his skills have somewhat. . .atrophied, he's still very capable. I trust you to whip him into shape._

It was an interesting concept, to say the least. Oscar was skeptical of his 'whipping-into-shape' skills.

Through the process of inhaling food, all arguing had ceased. Exactly like the night before, though, the attention shifted towards him as he shrank back into his chair.

"What's got you so quiet, Oz?" Qrow's casual use of the nickname didn't quite fit, yet his heart fluttered all the same.  _I would get used to that, if I were you - and I am. In a sense._ "Havin' secret conversations? Scheming on how to save the world?"

"No. . ." He muttered, not looking up. "Just reveling in your childish behavior."

In that moment, Oscar felt nothing like himself; his voice echoed with one much deeper and fatigued.

 _Forgive me for saying anything,_ Ozpin said hastily. The boundary between the two seemed ever thinning. But, as always, Oscar's thoughts and emotions were as plain as day.

"Snarky as always," Taiyang chuckled. "I see you haven't changed." Oscar curled into himself even more; he'd already met his daily allowance of Memories of the Old Days with Ozpin. Being bitter just wasn't him, but it was hard to be jolly with his life tossed on its head.

Thankfully, the subject was changed. Taiyang mentioned a trip to town to pick a few things up and promptly excused himself, wishing them 'the best butt-kicking luck' for their daily training session.

"Up for some more combat practice? These legs need a good stretching."

"Now is as good a time as any," Oscar conceded. Ah, yes - there was the mischievous glint in Qrow's eyes.

Though he was graying and more likely to die by alcohol poisoning than by battle, Qrow followed Oscar to the forest's edge like a puppy (see Diagram: Zwei).

 

Diagram: Zwei

 

"I say we practice reflexes today. You're small, agile - it's easier for you to dodge attacks and take openings that someone larger would miss."

"Alri-"

He couldn't even finish speaking, and Qrow was after his life. Sidestepping and parrying hits was all he was doing, but it wasn't as bad as yesterday. It was beginning to feel like muscle memory, and it could only become easier

_You're getting the hang of it, Oscar. Keep tapping into my, or rather, our skills, and you'll have Qrow flat on his back faster than I can make a cup of coffee._

'Keep telling me that and maybe it'll come true,' he mused. Each time he paused to talk to Ozpin, Qrow picked up on it - soon, he had no time to think.

"Quit taking time to think," Qrow huffed, skidding to a stop from a firm kick. "This needs to be instantaneous. Grimm don't think either, and you know Salem won't hesitate to take you out."

White-hot fear shot through him. It set his bones ablaze and turned his blood to ash, yet he could feel himself strengthening.

"You don't know anything about her. Don't be so quick to assume  _anything_." There, again, his voice echoed.

Although it was cloudy outside, the clearing rapidly brightened, enough to cause Qrow to shield his eyes.

"Oscar, what. . .?"

Far from earthly was the former farmhand; no, he was ethereal in this moment. Oscar's body was levitating a few inches off the ground, his whole body shimmering a deep green. Hazel eyes melded to a dull gold as his hair lightened, and as his feet touch the ground once more, Qrow stumbled and collapsed to his knees in shock.

"Oz? Is it really you?"

A cheeky smirk paired with a twirl of his cane was enough of an answer. It was still Oscar's body, Oscar's features, but the boy wasn't there.

"Momentarily, yes." The joy in Qrow's eyes dimmed, if only a fraction. "Oscar has given me control for the time being, although I suspect it was partially an accident. This isn't a walk in the park for him, mind you. I'm completely in control; he may only watch and listen, as I have. I do not have long, though."

Clear disappointment now flashed across Qrow's face, observed clearly by Ozpin. "It's still you, though. It's still Ozpin - sarcastic, coffee addicted, old man Oz." Suddenly he leapt to his feet and grabbed Oscar's shoulders. "I'm begging you, Oz. Please just come back. I know you've regenerated before, you can do it again!"

Ozpin gave the slightly unhinged man clinging to him a gentle smile. He winced when his glow flickered and, in return, was only gripped tighter. "If only it were that easy. Hang in there, my dusty old crow."

And in an instant, the light went out. Oscar slipped from Qrow's grasp and crumpled into a heap at his feet - shaking and gasping slightly, he was.

"What just happened? Oscar, what did you do?" Increasingly urgent. Distraught. " _Oscar._ "

"I lost control." He stared down in shame and willed himself to be anywhere but there. "I couldn't. . .keep him in control. I-I'm sorry - we haven't done that very much."

A hand suddenly wrapped itself in Oscar's collar and didn't let go.

Laced with what could be tears, Qrow's gut red eyes burned into Oscar's. He didn't move. He didn't blink. He glared past Oscar and seemingly into his mind, as if he could just talk to Ozpin himself. The next words he spoke were no more than a whisper.

"Do you know what that man is to me, Oscar?"

A lurching shake of his head was Oscar's only answer.

"He means damn near  _everything_ to me.The only people who mean more to me than him are Summer and Ruby.

Ozpin picked me up when I was at my worst, and encouraged me at my best. He knew everything about me and I didn't even bother to question it. Despite me being a jerk, a complete moron, an outright  _child_ , he stayed by my side.

And then? I find out that he was killed by some power hungry brat.  _Cinder_." At that point he'd pulled Oscar even closer, his voice rising ever louder.

"I lost him. First, Raven walked away. Then Summer died. Ruby grew and went off to school, and then the one man in my life that truly mattered? Gone! But then, you. You come up to me. You ask for that cane and I just  _knew_ that I'd finally found him. He's here, _right now_ , but he's stuck in your stupid head!"

"Please calm down, Qrow. I see now that this is really hard for you, but. . .I'm so sorry. I really am. I know you miss him - he tells me all the time how he misses you, misses drinking with you."

". . .is that so?"

"Yes. . .yes, it is. He's also helped me understand how you feel, and he's helped me - somewhat, at least - come to terms with what's happened to me, us." Oscar was rambling while attempting to pry Qrow's iron-gripped fingers from his collar. "All I ask is that you please understand that this is really hard for me. I. . .I always though, always  _felt_ that I'd be destined for greater things. I never thought it'd be like this - being stuck in the middle of a supernatural game of telephone."

A heartbeat went by, and then a few more. Oscar could see the gears turning in Qrow's mind and chose to remain silent.

"I need a drink." Predictable, to say the least. The huntsman stalked away with a storm of his own brewing in his head.

With all the talking he and Qrow had done, it was abnormal for Ozpin not to have said anything - not a single peep. In spite of that, the growing anxiety Oscar felt pained him. Ozpin was clearly more uncomfortable now than he'd been in most likely a very long time. It made Oscar feel intrusive, too; he probably knew more than he should. The relationship between Qrow and Ozpin seemed to be much more than just friends.

A splash of rain broke through his clouded thoughts. "So much for training," He grumbled. "Just my luck."

* * *

 The two sat in silence long enough for Qrow to down a solid four drinks. Oscar was very thankful for the plush couch, which pulled him in and hid him from the brooding man.

"Why'd he have to chose you?"

Oscar was very much taken aback. "Choose. . .me? From what he's told me, this was completely  _random_."

"Hmph. Maybe." Qrow turned and immediately fixed his attention on Oscar. "That thing you 'HIC' did earlier - how. . .?"

_It's ok to tell him. He deserves to know._

'Nice of you to pop in now, out of all times. . .I guess.'

"So basically, what I do is clear my mind and imagine myself sitting in the back of my head. His voice starts to echo in my head, and the harder I concentrate, the louder it gets. After that, I can't feel anything, and he's in control."

"Neat. Can you. . .do it again?"

_Don't. Don't push yourself, Oscar. Qrow can get brash, and given how much he seems to miss me - and how much he's had to drink - he'll forego his usually cool-headed attitude._

"I can't right now. Earlier was more of an accident and I'm really tired out. I'm sorry, Qrow. Maybe another time? Tomorrow, even?"

Qrow responded with a long hard stare, looking Oscar up and down like he was a threat.

"Why do I feel like you're lying to me right now?"

Lying? Oscar? He barely had the nerve to tell the  _truth_ , let alone be imaginative enough to lie. Now, four drinks didn't seem like much - for a drinker of Qrow's caliber, at least. 

"I think you're lying to me. I didn't think you were th' vindictive type, but 'HIC' I think you're keeping Oz from me now that you know the. . . _truth_ about us." He made air quotes as he spoke.

"I don't -"

"Give him back."

That shut Oscar up quickly. He couldn't 'give back' a voice in his head - something he'd never even asked for in the first place. Qrow was supposed to be  _training_ him,  _mentoring_ him. Instead, he got drunk, got handsy, and antagonized him about Ozpin.

"Oh, give him back?" Oscar snapped, pushing himself to his feet. " _Give him back_? As if any of this is my fault! If anything, blame Cinder. Blame yourself, even!" He began pacing and morbidly savored the fact that Qrow seemed frightened. "You were  _fully_ aware of your semblance and what it could potentially cause; but you still chose to stick around during the transfer process between Pyrrha and Amber." Oscar was spitting mad. It suited neither him nor Ozpin, and if he was anyone else, he'd be heading for the hills. He was tired of Qrow treating him like a tool, and was completely over having Ozpin in his head.

Qrow was now, for once in his loud existence, speechless.

He was stomping as he left, slamming doors and letting the negativity roll off of him in tsunamis. Let all the grimm come, for all he cared. If Qrow could defend himself while drunk (see: Qrow vs. Winter), he could deal with not having Ozpin.

_You're making a tremendous mistake, Oscar._

"No; the first mistake made was yours." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment (plz)!


	4. Author Update

Hello, all. First of all, I'd like to say that I know I don't have the best track record when it comes to finishing fics. Either way, here's the scoop: a week ago my house burned down, and while I'm able to salvage some things, all of my notebook and sketchbooks have been reduced to ash. That means that anything I'd written down for this fic along with anything else I was planning has been destroyed, and it'll take a while for me to fully remember what I had written down. I'll try to continue this fic to the best of my ability, but I don't know quite yet. For now, please be patient :) thanks for understanding.


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